Becoming a Substance Abuse Counselor in Iowa
Find Programs for Substance Abuse Counseling Degrees in Iowa
Few problems have affected the United States as severely as substance abuse. While substance abuse does affect specific demographic groups more, it can ruin lives in any population.
By becoming an Iowa addictions therapist, you can address the underlying causes of drug and alcohol addiction while helping patients loosen the grip of substances on their lives. In Iowa, the most significant substance abuse issue comes from alcohol; 55% of substance abuse screenings were to assess alcohol use (Iowa Department of Public Health, 2016).
If you’re ready to earn a substance abuse counseling degree, Iowa schools can help you find the degree that suits you.
Browse the list of programs below and contact schools in your area.
Substance Abuse Counselor Training in Iowa
If you haven’t pursued any postsecondary education to this point, you may want to compare undergraduate Iowa substance abuse counselor education programs.
An Iowa Bachelor’s program needs to offer at least 120 credits, but several Iowa schools require more than 120 credits. If you attend courses full-time, you may complete your training in eight to ten semesters.
Bachelor‘s-Level Substance Abuse Counseling Courses
- Multicultural Counseling for Substance Use Disorders
- Relapse Prevention in Addiction Treatment
- Counseling Theories
- Advanced Counseling Theories
- Family Roles in Addiction and Substance Abuse Treatment
- Trauma, Addiction, and Substance Use Disorders
- Advanced Case Management for Substance Use Disorders
Before you can work with patients on your own, you should be confident about your ability to handle sensitive subjects and situations. That’s why undergraduate programs require clinical experience.
Master’s in Substance Abuse Counseling—Iowa Requirements
With a graduate degree in substance abuse counseling, you may become a certified substance abuse counselor in Iowa.
Graduate programs include a minimum of 30 credits, with several Iowa programs requiring closer to 40 or 50 credits. Clinical experience is a huge part of your education at this level, often reaching nearly 1,000 hours of hands-on training.
Earning an advanced degree may allow you to reach a higher level of certification and handle more complex patient cases.
Addiction Counselor Iowa Graduate Courses
- Treatment Procedures in Substance Abuse Counseling
- Assessment Techniques in Counseling
- Addiction Research
- Ethics, Supervision, Crisis, and Consultation
- Intervention and Prevention Through the Lifespan
- Advanced Psychopathology and Treatment Procedures
Substance Abuse Counselor Careers in Iowa
Many substance abuse counselor careers require certification. However, since certification requires supervised work experience, it may take several years to become licensed.
- The Iowa Department of Public Health requires that CADC applicants have 1,000 hours of supervised work experience.
- Those applying for IADC certification need a Bachelor’s degree and 4,000 hours of experience or a Master’s degree and 2,000 hours of supervised work experience.
- To become an IAADC, you must have a Master’s degree and 2,000 hours of experience.
Overall, the job outlook in this specialty is bright. By 2024, O*Net hopes to see a 20% boost in substance abuse counselor job openings and a 21% increase in substance abuse social worker job openings (2016). Substance abuse counselors earn an average of $42,260 per year and substance abuse social workers claim an average income of $41,950 per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016).
You may have started studying psychology because of the innate desire to help people. In the field of substance abuse counseling, you have the chance to help hundreds of people handle the most difficult times in their lives. This specialty strengthens public health efforts and minimizes criminal justice spending, improving Iowa as a whole.
Discover local counseling training programs below and contact schools that interest you.
